Ironing boards typically comprise an elongate rigid board having a flat upper surface covered with a fire retardant material. To support the ironing board in an elevated usable position, first and second pairs of tubular legs are usually employed, wherein upper ends of the first pair are pivotally attached to one end of an underside of the board while corresponding ends of the second pair are received in slide tracks longitudinally fixed to the underside. Intermediate portions of each first pair of legs are pivotally connected to corresponding portions of the second pair. By pivoting the first pair into a supportive position, the second pair automatically pivots by virtue of the pivotal connections with the first pair and sliding movement of the upper ends of the second pair through the tracks. Upon travelling through the tracks, the legs automatically lock by means of a locking tab fixed to the second pair upper ends entering a hole formed in a side wall of each track. Depressing a release lever connected to pivot each tab out of locking engagement with the tracks enables the user to collapse the legs for storage of the ironing board.
The aforesaid legs and locking mechanism provide reliable load bearing conditions when the ironing board is in use provided that the legs are of sufficient length so as to be connected together and to the board in the aforesaid manner. However, in sleeve ironing boards and in portable ironing boards commonly used by individuals while travelling, the aforesaid known construction unnecessarily increases both weight and space of the ironing board, as well as cost.
To minimize weight and space requirements, portable ironing boards generally employ shorter legs and simpler leg locking mechanisms enabling positioning of the board on an elevated support surface (e.g., desk or dresser top in a hotel room). One type of portable board is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 998,988 to Reynolds, wherein first and second pairs of legs have opposite ends pivotally attached to an ironing board and a support base with brackets. Lower ends of one leg pair are angled to flushly engage the base when the legs pivot to elevate the ironing board into a useable position. To lock the ironing board into the elevated position, the angled ends are held in tight fitting contact with the base by wings of a nut located between the ends, preventing pivotal movement.
While the portable board disclosed in the Reynolds patent is somewhat simpler in design than the full size board discussed supra, the presence of a large base increases the weight of the portable unit while the wing nut and bolt mechanism increase the complexity of the locking structure. To maintain the board in the elevated position by engaging the lower angled ends of the first leg pair with the wing nut requires precise orthogonal positioning of the wings with respect to the angled ends, necessitating an additional step of holding the board to lock the legs once they have been pivoted to the upright position.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a portable ironing board or table having collapsible legs that automatically lock upon pivoting into an extended position to support the board in an elevated position and unlock upon collapsing the legs against the board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable ironing board or table having a locking mechanism that functions as a hook for storing the collapsed structure on a wall between periods of use.
Still another object is to provide a portable ironing board or table that is light weight and simple in design and readily collapsible to occupy a minimum of storage space.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a portable ironing board or table that is inexpensive to manufacture.